At Maison Trimbach in Ribeauvillé (Alsace), the VIPs of the international wine scene gathered to celebrate a hundred years of Clos Ste Hune and the release of the 2019 vintage. The famous Riesling has inspired many winemakers to explore new paths.
Kim Schreiber
The legend of the famous Clos Ste Hune tells of a time long past. It recounts the story of Huna and her husband Hunon, the King of Hunawihr, as well as their encounter with Irish monks. Due to this formative meeting, Huna asks the king to have a chapel built. Furthermore, it is said that in a year of drought, she transformed the water of the village well into wine. The view of the small church has adorned the label of the wine from the traditional winery Trimbach (Alsace) since 1919. It is a tribute to the legend of Huna and the naming of the parcel with this view: Clos Ste Hune. It is located in the middle of the Grand Cru Rosacker in Hunawihr and possesses an extraordinary terroir. This Clos has been owned by the Trimbach family for more than 200 years and encompasses only 1.67 hectares.
In the protection of the Vosges, the vineyard benefits from a rather dry, yet not too warm microclimate, which in most years allows for slow and even grape ripening. Botrytis occurs only in a few years. The parcel is oriented to the south and southeast. The vines, averaging 60 years old, some up to 80 years old, are rooted in deep, highly calcareous soil, which also contains clay, shell limestone, and dolomitic gravel. These structures maintain good water and mineral supply, allowing the vines to experience less drought stress even in very hot years.
The interplay of soil and mesoclimate gives Clos Ste Hune a distinctive character. It is marked by a fine, pure, and rather restrained fruit, strength, depth, exceptional elegance, outstanding minerality, and a length that leaves one speechless - even in difficult years. The acidity is lively but always very fine. The pressure in the finish sometimes forces one to their knees. Clos Ste Hune is an unmistakable Riesling with enormous aging potential and, especially after some aging, a magnificent, versatile food companion.
Although Clos Ste Hune deserves Grand Cru status, this has never been claimed for this wine. Since 2008, the vineyard has been farmed organically.
Since tastings at wineries, fairs, and similar events inevitably lack the conditions for a final assessment, I resort to a rough classification by stars:
Cool, firm, and deep nose that initially seems completely closed and unfolds more and more with air, with notes of yellow fruits, fine vegetable hints, a touch of tobacco and oil, herbal spice, and, hinted at, crab meat as well as noticeable minerality. Cool and taut in the mouth, with bitter-vegetal aromas, a hint of lemon verbena and again tobacco, some shellfish meat and algae, marbling acidity. Has grip, gains finesse and depth with air, is dense and persistent with enormous minerality. Has power, long, slightly red berry finish with brilliant juice. Magnificent! Must definitely age.
Firm and deep nose of yellow fruits with delicate phenolics, slightly smoky, dried-herb, tobacco, and subtly peppery hints, a touch of yellow spice, and hinted caramel. Ripe, firm, and completely dry fruit with delicate melt, lively acidity, good substance, and persistence. Has power, good depth, hinted plant sharpness, and bitter nut tones in the background, some warmth, very good to long finish with a delicate phenolic bitterness.
Somewhat developed, firm, deep, and complex aroma of yellow fruits with fine vegetal notes, some nutty, tobacco, and smoky hints, a touch of seafood, and some phenolics. Polished, ripe, firm, noble fruit with a hint of tobacco, healing herbs, and again seafood, fine, lively acidity, has grip from ripe tannins, dense and persistent. Good depth, bright and dark minerality with power. Long, dense finish with bitter nut tones and cool herbal spice.
Developed, firm, and deep, somewhat dried-vegetal to herbal and nutty aroma of partially dried citrus fruits with a hint of shellfish, yellow spice, and bitter phenolics. Ripe, firm fruit with yellow spice, some cigar tobacco, and nuances reminiscent of pepper and algae, marbling acidity, tender tannins, good substance, and persistence. Has tension, a hint of Darjeeling, stony minerality, again shellfish, long and firm finish with delicate bitterness.
Developed, firm, and quite complex nose of partially dried yellow fruits with bitter nut tones, some root vegetables, slightly tobacco and smoky hints, and hinted caramel. Ripe, firm, bitter-juicy fruit of partially candied and partially dried citrus fruits. Lively acidity, a hint of langoustines and dried flowers, dense and persistent, noticeably bitter, slightly drying phenolics, good depth, salty and stony minerality, very good finish. With air, the phenolics tend to increase. Then it seems a bit sinewy, likely to be drinkable within the next six years.
Fine, dense, and deep, quite layered nose with partially dried citrus and stone fruit notes, a hint of root vegetables, tobacco, and hinted crustaceans, with some phenolics and noticeable stony minerality. Polished, firm, bitter, and at the same time finely juicy, noble fruit with a hint of dried flowers and nuances reminiscent of cloves and lemon verbena. Fine, almost marbling acidity, some phenolics, dense, deep, and persistent on the palate. Slightly maritime notes in the background, intensely salty minerality, also shellfish, long, bitter finish with emphasis. Has tension.
Clear, firm, and dense aroma with notes of partially dried citrus fruits and a hint of peach skin, hinted fine root vegetables and tea, as well as nuances reminiscent of cigar tobacco and salt. Noble, ripe, concentrated fruit with brilliant juice, along with a hint of healing herbs and grilled crustaceans, fine, marbling acidity that runs through the wine, some phenolics. Dense, deep, and persistent, intense minerality that leans slightly towards stony. Has power and energy, long, again dense finish with cool juice, herbal spice, and again minerality. Despite its old age, it still does not seem tired. A beauty!
Clear, dense, fine, and deep nose with restrained citrus and stone fruit notes, a hint of tobacco, smoke, and hinted bay leaf, as well as delicate floral aromas and noticeable minerality. Polished, ripe, firm, noble fruit with brilliant juice and well-integrated sweetness, some ethereal-herbal hints, a touch of caramel, and again tobacco. Lively, yet fine acidity, dense and persistent on the palate, bitter phenolic tones in the background. Has depth, intense minerality, hinted coffee in the long, again dense finish. A joy!